༺❦༻

❝ STOP before it's too
late, i know there's too
much at stake, making
the same MISTAKES ! ❞

new person, same old mistakes,
tame impala.

FINNEY TURNED AROUND to face the door, "why not?"

"it's a trap."

he furrowed his brows, "are you..are you bruce?"

as soon as finney mentioned bruce again, jaelin went to stand slightly in front of him. if it was bruce, she hoped she could talk to him again, even if it was just for a little bit. she looked like a toddler trying to get her parent's attention whilst they were on the phone.

"bruce..? who's bruce?"

finney turned around yet again, making jaelin roll her eyes and follow his movements. "i was just talking to bruce." he told the voice.

"i don't know any bruce."

funny pulled a face, "he's the baseball player."

"we don't play...baseball, down here."

PAPERBOY STOOD NEXT to finney, watching him talk into the phone with jaelin on the other side of him, listening intently.

"who are you?" finney asked.

the paperboy looked down slightly, "i don't remember."

"did you play soccer, football..?"

"i delivered newspapers." he replied.

finney's eyes widened as he looked at jaelin. she gave him a curious look and unwrapped her arms from crossing them, "well?"

he continued to make eye contact with her, "billy." he breathed out.

billy tensed upon hearing an unfamiliar name. or in this case, what seemed to be his name. he looked towards jaelin who now had the same expression as finney.

he may not remember a majority of things, but he couldn't forget about the girl he's seen every morning without fail. the girl who he looked forward to see every morning. the girl who he platonically loved like a sister.

"you're billy showalter." finney told the ghost boy.

although billy didn't want to forget his memories, let alone his name, he couldn't stand the flashbacks of what came with it. the billy showalter he was before, was long gone.

"maybe."

"no, you're billy." finney assured. he knew of the local paper boy. a majority did.

and yet, only a little few cared.

billy started making his way to the phone, circling around the dirty blond, "do. not. go. upstairs."

"what is he doing?"

billy stopped in his tracks, just behind finney, and faced his back, "he's waiting, on the other side with that fucking belt."

he started walking towards finney, so he was in the middle of the two teens, "he didn't tell you, you could leave. so if you try, he'll punish you."

now, he looked directly at finney, who clutched the phone a little out of horror. "he'll beat you with that belt until you pass out." he shook his head, "it hurts, kid. it hurts real bad."

finney felt chills up his spine at the new information. billy looked from him to jaelin, who patiently waited for finney to tell her what was going on.

he frowned and made his way in front of the phone, "you'll cry. you'll beg him to stop. we all did. and he just keeps beating you." he presses the button to hang up.

"hello..? hello?" finney looked back to the phone. he assumed billy hung up and put the phone back.

jaelin walked towards him, "so? what did he say?"

finney didn't look back at her, but instead kept his gaze on the door. "uhm.. he said not to go upstairs." he told her whilst heading straight for the door.

jaelin frowned, "why? what's upstairs?"

finney ignored her and continued to open the door. jaelin's eyes widened and ran in front of him, blocking him from the long staircase.

"woah there, blake. if he said not to go upstairs, why the hell would you go up there?!" she whisper shouted to him.

"i just wanna check it out." finney slipped around her and carefully went upstairs.

jaelin stared at him in shock. if a ghost boy, who's previously been here, tells someone not to go upstairs, it's common sense they shouldn't. however, curiosity always wins in the end.

she flung her hands up and opened her mouth, only to shut it again and breath in and out to calm herself down; she couldn't shout because who knows what the grabber would do if he knew they opened the door, let alone go upstairs.

ON THE OTHER side, the five ghosts were spread out around the room. the pinball player was leaning against one of the walls with a smirk on his face and the youngest was sitting silently in a corner, watching the whole thing unfold.

"you told him not to go upstairs, right?" bruce asked billy for the fifth time. billy made a 'tch' sound in annoyance, clearly not in the mood.

robin averted his attention away from bruce and billy, towards the stairs. he walked over so he was stood next to jaelin as the two watched their best friend start ascending up the stairs slowly.

jaelin, unaware of the ghosts of course, huffed and rubbed her temples, "does this idiot have a death wish or something?!" she whispered.

"of course he does." vance replied, even though jaelin couldn't hear him.

he looked up from the floor to see the rest of them looking back at him with irritation. he put his hands up and scowled, "what?! this motherfucker just ignored what he said. if he gets beaten, it's on his stupid ass."

robin took a deep breath in and out. it got harder and harder not to shout at the pinball player for his snarky remarks, especially when the situation included his best friend and the person he loves.

although, to be fair, he had a point. robin was also upset with finney's rash decisions. this was life or death, and the beatings were brutal. he didn't want that for finney, and he was sure the others didn't either. even if the pinball player didn't look like he cared, he's been here long enough to know how much pain was inflicted onto him when he first made the mistake of playing the game.

deep down, he didn't want that for finney. not even the people who were supposed to be his 'family', who treated him horribly beyond belief.

"at least we're giving him warnings and advice, pinball. what have you done besides have no sympathy for those two?" bruce stepped forward.

the scowl immediately turned into a cold stare towards the baseball player. he pushed himself off the wall and walked towards bruce so they were at eye level. billy face palmed whilst robin rolled his eyes.

"you don't know anything about what i'm feeling. i've been in this hell-hole for almost a year-"

"yeah, and you're still here, pinball! so what does that tell you, huh? pull your weight because i'm not spending the rest of my life trapped in this shitty basement." bruce interrupted him, his voice stern.

the pinball player was about to respond until billy and robin came in between the two. "cut it out, you dipshits!" robin backed the pinball player away.

"we aren't gonna stand here and watch you two argue about this." billy moved bruce away.

"guys.. where's jaelin?" griffin's voice was suddenly heard for the first time in a while.

they turned their heads from him to the doorway which jaelin formerly was, only for her to be nowhere to be found.

"you've gotta be shitting me."

ׅ𖥔 ۫ iloveblondead speaks ! ⋄ 𓍯

"you've been here three days,
i've been here three years-"

"yeah, and you're still here gally!"
🤭🤭

anyways, i didn't proof read this
bc i wanted to post a chapter asap,
so sorry if it's shitty🥲

i love writing the dynamic between
the ghost boys. constructive
feedback on how i've written their
interactions would be much
appreciated :))

༺❦༻